October 28, 2014 — Norwegian salmon can still be found on the shelves of Russian stores, despite a ban on its import. Russian fish processing companies now import chilled fish to Belarus, where it is gutted and salted at local factories, after which the processed fish is transported into Russia.
Despite the ban on the import of Norwegian salmon, lightly-smoked salmon fillets have not disappeared from Russian stores, as resourceful suppliers exploit a legal loophole in order to circumvent the ban on fish imports from Norway.
Most Russian companies selling fish now cooperate with Belarusian companies in order to get around the ban on European food imports imposed by Moscow in retaliation for EU sanctions on Russia over its support of pro-autonomy militants in eastern Ukraine.
According to Alexander Starobinsky, deputy managing director of the St. Petersburg-based holding company ROK-1, fish from Norway is first delivered to Belarus, where it undergoes primary processing (gutting and pickling) before being shipped to Russia.
The ROK-1 website says that the company has an annual output of 60,000 tons, with a product list consisting of over 400 items, including specialty fish, crab sticks, and caviar. ROK-1 is using the same scheme, Starobinsky admits, without, however, disclosing any details.
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